Slow Cooked Cherry Beef with Winter Squash

Although the combination of beef and cherries may sound odd, it's a pairing that works really well.
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Cherries and cherry juice have a reputation for being anti-inflammatory-one reason why they have long been used as a natural treatment for gout.

See Grass-Fed Gourmet article for more tips.

Slow Cooked Cherry Beef with Winter Squash recipe
  • 6Servings

Ingredients

  • 12 oz. frozen dark cherries
  • 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, quartered, and sliced
  • 1 large sweet onion, sliced
  • ½ cup dried, juice-sweetened tart cherries
  • 1¼ lbs. cubed, grass-fed stew beef (about 2-inch cubes)
  • 1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 Tbs. quick-cooking tapioca
  • 2 tsp. unsweetened tart cherry or apple butter, optional
  • ¾ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. black pepper
  • ¼ tsp. cinnamon

Preparation

  1. Place frozen cherries, squash, onion, and dried cherries on bottom of slow cooker. Top with beef cubes.
  2. In medium bowl, combine tomatoes, tapioca, cherry butter (if using), salt, pepper, and cinnamon, and mix well to thoroughly combine. 
  3. Pour tomato mixture over beef and cook on high 4-5 hours, or on low 5-6 hours, until beef is cooked through, but still moist, and squash is tender.

Nutrition Information

  • Calories: 298
  • Carbohydrate Content: 40 g
  • Cholesterol Content: 52 mg
  • Fat Content: 6 g
  • Fiber Content: 7 g
  • Protein Content: 23 g
  • Saturated Fat Content: 2 g
  • Sodium Content: 514 mg
  • Sugar Content: 19 g
This collagen-rich soup hits the healthful spot on cold winter nights.
Soups/Salads

Winter Warmer Blended Soup

If you struggle with digesting beans, add a 1-inch strip of dried kombu (a type of Japanese seaweed) when you add the broth; remove it before you purée the soup.